In the year that has seen the
likes of Liam Neeson, Tom Cruise and Sean Penn all reveal their toned
torsos, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of male patients in
their fifties and sixties seeking cosmetic treatment in order to
achieve a more defined, muscular physique at a later stage in life.

One
such man is 54-year-old Donovan Nelson, who has undergone laser
liposuction and pec implants to keep up with his 33-year-old wife.

Donovan from Braintree, Essex, was once in very good
shape – exercising regularly and eating healthily – but nevertheless he
struggled to maintain a body that was toned and muscular through
exercise alone.

Honed to perfection: 54-year-old Donovan
underwent a new type of lipo called VASER so that he could keep up with
his 33-year-old girlfriend

In his younger days Donovan, who owns his own marketing company, was better able to achieve
the results he wanted but after starting a family and living a busy
working life, he struggled to maintain a lifestyle that was active
enough to give him the body he wanted.

Donovan’s wife Anna is also 21 years
his junior and so the pressure to look fit and in shape alongside her
was even larger because of this age gap.

In the end he resorted to a treatment called VASER high def
at The Private Clinic, performed by Dr Mike Comins.

The treatment was
carried out under local anaesthetic and involved melting away the
unwanted fat and removing it via a tiny canula.

Maintenance: Donovan struggled to maintain a
lifestyle that was active enough to give him the body he wanted
alongside his younger wife

Dr Comins targets the
underlying fat during the procedure and suctions it out around the
musculature to create a more defined, finished result.

Speaking to MailOnline, Donovan said:
'You can only go so far with exercise and at my age it's much harder to
keep the weight off.

'I do a lot of cardio but it's hard to shift the fat in certain areas, especially after a certain age.

'The
good thing about this treatment is it's targeted weight loss off the
area you want to lose it from. I had love handles and fat below my pecs
and I wanted to get rid of it.'

He underwent the treatment six months ago and it set him back £10,000 but he maintains that it was worth every penny.

Before and after: The candid photographs show the before (L) and after (R) effects of the £10,000 treatment

He said: 'Now I feel so much more confident and I love walking around without my top on.

'I like to go to Ibiza every summer for a few days and dance with my top
off - being over 50 it's hard to dance around with your top off unless
you're in good shape.

'I would say to other men, try and get in shape through exercise first,
but if that doesn't work then perhaps surgery is a better option. Also,
the amount it costs is a good incentive to keep it off.'

Staying in shape: Donovan maintains his great shape with Muy Thai boxing and weight training 4-5 times each week

He said: 'I do get told I look very young for my
age. I once got stopped at passport control as the officer didn't
believe it was me, because of my age.'

He also had a pec implant a
few years ago and is keen to have more treatment on his lower abdomen
next as he wants more definition there.

And it seems that Donovan isn't alone in his quest for more definition.

The
number of men above the age of 50 who have undergone the non-surgical
alternative to liposuction at The Private Clinic of Harley Street has
increased by more than 110 per cent in the past two years.

Now, almost 20 per cent of the total number of men who undergo VASER at the clinic are above the age of 50.

Confidence: He says he feels so much more confident with his new shape and loves taking his shirt off in Ibiza

Experts have put this increase down
to a more open attitude to cosmetic surgery amongst men, together with
the presence of older males in the public eye - from heads of industry
and politicians to actors and musicians - who are today being
photographed looking fit and well later in life.

Dr
Mike Comins, cosmetic doctor at The Private Clinic, who has performed
more VASER treatments than any other practitioner in the UK, said: 'Some
four-five years ago the average age of a patient who came to me
expressing an interest in VASER was around 30 years old. At that time it
was incredibly rare for men in their 50s and 60s to seek the treatment.

'Now a considerable
proportion of the males I treat are 50 or older, which demonstrates a
dramatic change in attitude towards cosmetic treatment.

Not alone: Donovan isn't alone is his quest for
greater abs, the Private Clinic have been a 110 per cent surge in men
seeking the treatment

'There are a number of reasons I
would attribute to the rise in numbers. A lot of the men I treat have
exercised regularly and maintained a healthy diet their whole lives in
order to remain in shape.

'When
these men reach their mid fifties and their metabolism begins to slow,
they struggle to maintain that physique but they are not prepared to
give up the body that they desire.

'I’m
also increasingly aware that captains of industry are taking a much
greater interest in their general health, fitness and physical
appearance.

'The image of a senior male figure in business today is very different to what it was some 10-15 years ago.

Trim and toned: With age, Donovan, who owns his
own marketing company, couldn't maintain his physique so this was
perfect for him

'Gone are the days where men
can afford not to care about the way they look and their physical health
and fitness. Now these men are in the public eye and they care a great
deal about looking and feeling fit and healthy beyond the age of fifty.

'For
these individuals, treatments like VASER can go hand in hand with
regular exercise, to help ensure that they look and feel fitter and
younger.

'VASER is
also far more suitable for these patients than traditional liposuction
because it involves very little downtime, allowing the patient to get
back to their day to day working routine almost immediately.'

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